The
neocortex (
Latin for "new
bark" or "new "), also called the
neopallium ("new
mantle") and
isocortex ("equal rind"), is a part of the
mammalian brain. In the
human brain, it is the largest part of the
cerebral cortex which covers the two
cerebral hemispheres, with the
allocortex making up the rest. The neocortex is made up of six layers, labelled from the outermost inwards, I to VI. In
humans, the neocortex is involved in higher functions such as
sensory perception, generation of
motor commands,
spatial reasoning,
conscious thought and
language. There are two types of cortex in the neocortex – the
true isocortex and the
proisocortex.